Porche for beginners
 

As my Mercedes C300 reaches year one, I am fantasizing about a Porsche as my next car.

I am in the post retirement crowd, so getting in and out of something very low is a no go. I am embarrassed to admit that I am unable to manually shift, so that is out. Also, I would be looking at less expensive models. Let’s call $150k a cap, under $100k better if possible.

I’ve seen a lot of Porsches in the Car Talk thread. Any recommendations for a newbie?

Boxster. It's a better car than the 911.

Based on your description my immediate follow-up is how low is too low? Any of the sports car models will be low, though not as low as most of their sports car peers.

Try a 911 at a dealer (any 911 with non-bucket seats).

So, first piece of advice, figure out if any 911 works for ingress/egress.

Do not choose bucket seats of any kind.

I’d go 911 over a Cayman/718, etc.

My personal preference is 997.2 generation or 993. Not what I’d recommend for you. For what you’re describing I might go 992 but 991s trade at the lowest prices vs mileage and year. They are the most “GT-like” but still excellent sports cars. 997.2 is when pdk was introduced. These have potential issues… also the least refined. Skip my favorite generation unless a turbo is under consideration. In fact, a 997.1 turbo with porsche’s older tiptronic may be a good one to consider.

Your budget allows a wide range of trim options for 991s.

If ingress/egress is an issue then you are limited to the larger models (Macan, etc). Not really my cup of tea for Porsche but I have driven several and great drivers for what they are.

If you have more questions, don’t hesitate. Overall I’d go 997.1 turbo with a tip for maximum fun or 991.1 or 991.2 for maximum modernity and comfort. The enthusiast choice in your budget is a 997.1 or 997.2 GT3 but I think pushing against your preferences.

I have owned two Boxster S. Outstanding sports cars but not sure I’d say they’re better cars. Very different, however…

Saw a 2020 Cayenne Turbo $85,000.00 on The Porsche Club of America would have posted a link but wouldn't want to go against forum rules.

A Macan is an amazing small SUV and drives like a car. They are truly a wonder. I would go with a higher model like a GTS or even a Turbo. If I am not mistaken, they will be in your budget.

Truly, this is a great option. And will be much easier to get in and out of. I cannot overstate how well these vehicles drive. You really get the best of all worlds.

Call me anytime to discuss. Or even, let's go visit a dealer together.

Only caveat to visiting together is that you must help me refrain from buying anything. I am realizing that like an alcoholic that wanders into a bar, if I go into a dealership, there will always be an internal battle to buy a car. And more often than not, I am going to lose that battle.

I would go to the local Porsche Dealer and drive them all. I appreciate the many models and variations available but the 911 is "The Porsche" to me. If it works, then figure out which one and find the best example possible for your budget. If the 911 does not work for you then look elsewhere for a vehicle that does. Porsche SUV's and such are done better by others, in my opinion. Good luck and keep us posted.

Agreed with BB. I’d look at 997.1 Turbo Tip. Excellent bang for your buck and much cheaper and easier to source than their manual counterpart.

911 is the one. I hear you about the height, and I’m glad after knee surgery I could drive my wife’s Cayenne. I did pick up my friend after hernia surgery in my 911 (wasn’t thinking) and he made it in and out. I suggest trying one and making sure it works for you.

One thing is they’re not cheap cars to maintain, however obviously cheaper than exotics.

Go to a dealership and do some test drives. Find your local PCA club and visit a car and coffee. Many members will share their insights, some will take you for a ride, and some will even let your drive. Ask we they get their car serviced and which dealers they would buy from. Listen to their advise.
I will never own a Cayenne again (own two. turbo and an S). Porsche has lost their way with putting out cars that are not ready for prime time.
I have a 997.1 turbo and will never let it go.
Be prepared for the Porsche tax. 911 rear tires will need to be replace twice for every set of fronts. Look into how much oil changes will be or if you might be able to do them yourself.
Good luck. Don't drive a turbo unless you are prepared to buy a turbo. Once you fell the boost!! There is no going back.

Porche for beginners
 

Now that every model has been suggested, care to give us more input?

Coupe, sedan, suv?

As for getting in/out, air suspension can help some on the lower stuff. The newer ones even have Comfort Entry.

I’ve checked boxes in the 911, Pany and Taycan spaces. If a 911 was in the conversation, I would be willing to sacrifice a lot to have one again. Tried the kid but the wife vetoed.

It's not just the upfront cost to consider, but the very high service and replacement costs for Porsche that must be considered. Within my extended family, it's been made clear that overall quality of Porsche leaves something to be desired, which can be an issue with exorbitant service pricing.

For example: a 2020 Porsche 911 Turbo S's radio simply stopped working. Cost to replace the radio? $5,400. For a radio, LOL. I won't even cite the very high maintenance and service costs for Cayennes....

I'm not saying to not buy Porsche. There's a lot of amazing things about them.

Good luck with your choice. :cheers:

This is your answer.
Just got rid of my 911 and welcomed my new Macan GTS delivered last week. It's the closest thing to a car in a bigger form they make.

If ingress/egress is a concern, do not get a Cayman/Boxster or any 911. Just get a Macan or Cayenne.

I currently have a 718 Cayman GTS 4.0, in really good shape, still relatively young, and even I find getting in and out of my Cayman a pain. I'm waiting for my 992.2 base Carrera to be delivered and that's only slight easier to get in and out.

Also, I like how no one recommends a Panamara. They don't look good at all.

Liked Macan
 

Drove in a friend’s from front passenger seat. Not hard to get into, which is a main complaint with SUVs.

I did notice Porsche leasing prices were high. An $80k Porsche leases at solidly over $1100/month. My Mercedes C300 for $54k is $579/month.

Thank you for all the helpful comments. Will definitely test drive a sports car model and a Macan.

I took delivery of a 2025 Cayenne S coupe in December.
It replaced my Cayenne diesel.
I have taken 2 2,000 mile trips in this car since then.
It is very comfortable to drive and i appreciate it's design and abilities more and more as I drive it.
Safety features, speed, handling, are amazing.
I can take a nap in the back and fully stretch out. I am 6'4".
23 mpg on the highway at speeds normally 80 mph.
$131,000. A ridiculous amount of money for a car, but they are all crazy expensive.

Also, as someone else has mentioned, maintenance is really expensive if you go through a Porsche dealer. For a new car, the first year is free but after that it adds up. I just did my 4 year maintenance on my car 2 days ago and it was $3800. If you're getting a used model out of warranty, then you could probably save quite a bit using an independent mechanic.

that's not specific to porsche, if you go for an amg it'll likely be a similar rate

it sounds like a macan is probably the best fit given your criteria but if it's an option, personally i would be going for a 911 if you're still at the age where you can enjoy one. go for a macan/cayenne later if you wanna stay with the brand since those are easier to get in and out of and drive. for me when i think of the goal of getting in a porsche it's gotta be a 911 even though i know their suvs are great cars. test drive them and then go from there

Porche for beginners
 

You shouldn't be embarrassed - 90% of Porsche owners with 6-spd manuals think they know how to manually shift - and they actually DON'T!!! :lol:

Do not ask how I know... :chuckle:

Get anything with PDK paddles and you will be happy, happy, h-a-p-p-y...


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If you're going to buy and not lease, with that budget, it's going to be difficult to find a new 911 (992 variant). The 911 will retain it's value more than a Cayman or Boxster. If you go with a used Porsche, the 997 variant is the last of the Metzger engines in terms of the Turbo, GT2 and GT3, but the GT's will probably not be your best bet with ingress or egress.

The 991s had some engines that were catching fire, but Porsche warrantied them to 10 years and they've all probably are close to or off warranty by now. The 992 is perhaps the most refined (as it should be given that Porsche is not going to go backwards). I wouldn't worry about a manual vs. PDK as more Porsche these days are no longer manual and only sought out by purists.

You really should drive them all but don't discount the Macan and Cayenne. You would be surprised at how sporty they are. Anything GTS will be more than sufficient

Subscribed.
Great info.
I’m about a year out from making this childhood dream come true.

If you need to get your monthly payment lower, look into Woodside Credit, they do 144 month loans. Alternatively, would look to amazonleasing, no affiliation with the Amazon we all know, they will lease you a preowned car thus you are only leasing the amount between the purchase price and residual. They have a payment calculator on their website and run lease deals. This is an excellent option to go CPO, get an extended warranty and let someone else incur the initial depreciation after the first year or two. Last, not sure what state you are in, if you are in a high sales tax state, contact montanacorporate and have them set you up a Montanna LLC. Here in CA I have saved hundred of thousands of dollars in sales tax registering all my cars in MT with zero sales tax, tags are significantly less and I believe if the car is 11 yrs or older you can get permanent tags for $350.

Personally, I would not limit yourself to only Porsche, I would test drive cars from other manufacturers that you feel most comfortable getting in and driving. If you have no plans of tracking the car, you have to decide what is most important to you other than the badge on the front. You have a lot of options outside of Porsche that are comfortable and sub $150k. You are also are buying during Summer when sport car prices are at their peak, you can get better deals come winter.

My only piece of advice, take your time, make no regrets and buy EXACTLY what you want. I can't tell you how many times I compromised on a model or options to end up selling and buying what I wanted initially, especially when it comes to a meaningful purchase like this.

Thank you all for your comments. You informed me about things about which I was unaware. I expected a gaggle of Porsche enthusiasts here and I was correct!

Lots of solid advice here. Your budget is strong in this market. I’d say a macan GTS sounds like a good fit. If you think you can climb in and out of a 911 just do it. The list of people who regret their 911 is shorter than Danny Devito standing next to Yao Ming.

I agree with you, except for the nonsense in post 19.

Nonsense?

Post 19 is a bit uncalled for, saying 90% of manual transmission Porsche drivers don’t know how to shift gears. Perhaps poster was referring to themselves with a bit of self-deprecating humor. Perhaps not.

In my experience Porsche buyers who opt for stick are generally “legitimate” drivers, at least relative to the broader sports car driving population. Heel-toe accommodation (pedal positioning) in 911s is set for track / spirited driving (unlike BMW). Also, the manual premium is still pretty modest for most models, reducing the pure collector base of buyers.

Back on topic, I think OP should try a 911 first. Go from there.

I went with a 22' Macan S and am very happy with it; custom ordered in Sept 21' arrived in March. Didn't think the GTS was worth it for a fraction faster 0-60 time and worse fuel milage--S was $10k cheaper for my spec. It has plenty of room and fits a bicycle with the rear seats folded down. Absolutely get the air bag suspension for that P-car handling. Could have gone for a third 911tt but getting older and stiffer was becoming an issue and anyway I'm trying to grow up and not be such a motorhead. Will probably order another S this fall unless tariffs are a killer.

I’m also 6’4” and I love our Cayenne, but the prices for new ones are insane. My wife spec’d a replacement recently and it was $140k or so, crazy price. The first one we bought with the 8 cylinder years ago in sand yellow with color matched interior and a bunch of options I want to say it was $88k to order.

Just a quick correction, the 911s started auto blips on downshifts on manual cars with the 991 variant (I believe about midyear 2013) leaving the art of driver induced heel toe on 997 and earlier cars.

Agree that the drivers who opt for the manual on Porsches do so by choice and are quite competent and prefer to "row on their own". The PDKs are faster for sure, but there's something about performing a couple downshifts whilst blipping the throttle to match revs that is so very satisfying! :thumbsup: